This week has marked a busy one for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers!
Hall Of Fame
This week Justin Medlock entered the club’s Hall of Fame! I remember when Medlock came here that many (including myself) saw his as a ‘hired gun’ willing to go to the highest bidder. After a 7-11 season in 2015 the Bombers looked to make some changes and one of those pieces that would become integral to their winning ways was signing a kicker who had been around the league – Justin Medlock.
“Money Medlock” became a Bomber and helped steer the team in a new direction. While “Money Medlock” was his official moniker, he could have been called “Mr Automatic.” In 2016 the Bombers flipped their record to 11-7 in no small part due to Medlock.
“Medlock was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Special Teams Player in 2016, his first year with the Blue Bombers, after setting a CFL record with 60 field goals on 68 attempts (88.2 percent). He followed that up with 56 field goals in 2017, tied for the fourth-most in CFL history. He was named the Blue Bombers Most Outstanding Special Teams player in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and over the course of his days with Winnipeg, tied the club record for most field goals in a game (seven) and for the longest field goal in franchise history (58 yards).
An underrated punter, Medlock is also in the club’s Top 10 with an average of 43.8 yards and just six punt singles in 418 attempts.” – Source Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
What fans came to learn was that Medlock was not a gun for hire. When the Bombers had some struggles in the kicking position after his release, many fans said the Bombers should reach out to Medlock. A gun for hire would have come back at the right price, but Medlock had moved on in life.
All Bomber fans should extend a huge “Thank you!” to Medlock for helping the Bombers find their winning ways.
“You look back on your career at the opportunities you had – the failures and successes – and with the way it ended for me in Winnipeg was amazing.”
Ed Tait Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Pigrome
Released from the Bombers this week was their third string quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome. The Bombers seemed high on Pigrome, but after he failed on two successive short yardage plays in Week 1 that was the beginning of the end for Tyrell Pigrome.
If I had to bet, I would guess that Pigrome gets a shot on another team as other teams – such as Edmonton – are really struggling at the quarterback position. Could Pigrome find himself with Hamilton as they have struggled after Bo has been placed on the six game injured list?
Dakota Prukop
Well he was not away from the Bombers for that long. After the 2022 season Dakota Prukop decided to try his hand at the USFL. On June 34 he was released by the New Jersey Generals, which ultimately made Pigrome expendable. Here, Bomber Head Coach talks about Prukop’s role and preparation for short yardage plays.
Last season with the Bombers, Prukop had six rushing touchdowns, two passing touchdowns, 181 passing yards and 209 rushing yards. In the 2022 playoffs, Prukop rushed for a touchdown in the Western Final and scored two touchdowns in the 109th Grey Cup loss to the Toronto Argonauts.
CFL.ca
Fans will likely also remember the interception he threw in the 2022 Grey Cup, but fans on social media – by and large – are hanging that on the play call of Buck Pierce.
The Bombers always do what they believe is the right move to help them win, and signing Prukop to a one year deal was a better choice than keeping around Pigrome – in their mind.
Mike O’Shea takes question from the media on June 27.
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